# 21-year-old Winnebago composer receives prestigious NEA grant  
**Published:** 2026-06-17T10:00:00.000Z  
**Source:** [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-coup-for-winnebago-nation-how-a-21-year-old-composer-made-history/)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://lincolne.news/article/21-year-old-winnebago-composer-receives-prestigious-nea-grant

A 21-year-old Winnebago Nation composer has become the first tribal citizen to receive a National Endowment for the Arts composer grant, recognition that will place her work in the hands of Indigenous students across the United States, according to reporting by the [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-coup-for-winnebago-nation-how-a-21-year-old-composer-made-history/).

Tyler Free-LaMere created an original composition initially designed for her mother's dual language program at Winnebago elementary school. The award-winning work, developed while studying at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, will now be distributed to Indigenous classrooms nationwide, with Free-LaMere receiving royalties from sales.

The accomplishment represents a significant milestone for the Winnebago Nation. Free-LaMere joins a select group of Indigenous composers to receive the honor, including Louis Ballard, a Quapaw/Cherokee citizen, Brent Michael Davids of the Mohican Nation and Raven Chacon, a Diné (Navajo).

The grant emerged from an initiative connecting NEA representatives with tribal cultural traditions. When a National Endowment for the Arts representative suggested the Nebraska grant would likely go to a Lakota composer in South Dakota, Cindy Melton Krafka, an adjunct professor at UNO's Native American Studies program, pushed back. She brought the representative and Indigenous composer Skye Junginger to the annual Homecoming powwow in Winnebago, where the NEA officials witnessed the tribal celebration firsthand.

Free-LaMere demonstrates a pattern of activism alongside her artistic talent. At age 17, she successfully pressured the Winnebago Tribal Council to reverse a decision banning same-sex marriage ceremonies on the reservation. A video she created on TikTok received more than 923,000 views, mobilizing tribal members and prompting an emergency council session that voted overwhelmingly to recognize same-sex marriage and divorce.

Her advocacy extends beyond tribal governance. When immigration enforcement operations swept across Minneapolis last winter, Free-LaMere and her mother led efforts to gather and donate items to affected communities.

Her activism builds on a family legacy of social justice work. Her great-uncle, [Frank LaMere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_LaMere), was a nationally recognized Native American activist who spent decades campaigning to shut down off-reservation liquor sales in Whiteclay, Nebraska. The stores ceased operations in 2017. LaMere also successfully pressured the Sioux City Single-A baseball team to change its name from the Explorers, citing racist branding.

Free-LaMere's mother, Michelle Free-LaMere, a dual language teacher at Winnebago schools, attributes her daughter's drive to initiative and independence. "She doesn't let anything stop her," Michelle said. "I'm amazed at the way she just thinks of something and then goes for it."

The grant project, titled "My Heart is Strong," was developed as a collaborative effort to create culture-sharing music accessible to all people. Free-LaMere's work incorporates knowledge of Winnebago language and cultural traditions, positioning her as what educators call a "culture bearer" — someone who actively preserves and transmits tribal heritage.

## Sources

- [Flatwater Free Press](https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-coup-for-winnebago-nation-how-a-21-year-old-composer-made-history/)
- [Indianz.com reporting on Winnebago same-sex marriage controversy and Tyler LaMere's activism](https://indianz.com/News/2022/04/13/winnebago-tribe-takes-action-to-address-marriage-controversy/)
- [Wikipedia biography of Frank LaMere, civil rights activist and great-uncle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_LaMere)
- [UNO Digital Commons project on National Endowment for the Arts grant](https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/musicoer/5/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Flatwater Free Press, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://flatwaterfreepress.org/a-coup-for-winnebago-nation-how-a-21-year-old-composer-made-history/.